My teaching philosophy stems from the consideration of how the present time came to be; the generation of teachers prior to me were taught to consider different beliefs in regards to education, to find different values and attributes important, to manage their classrooms and deal with diversity in different ways. For this reason, my teaching philosophy comes not from wanting my own education to have happened differently, but thinking on the future of education as a whole. I did not have terrible teachers or go to bad schools; the majority of my own teachers were good educators and nice people. I went to a school district that had the resources to give its students ample opportunity to succeed and excel, that was secure and well maintained. Despite this, I did not feel like a part of my class; having autonomy is important for adolescents developing their identities, but complete anonymity leaves a student with memories of their secondary education as being impersonal and, at its worst, lonely. Possibly the most exciting idea about being a teacher is having the opportunity to shape young minds, or rather, helping them shape their own. This philosophy does not originate from the idea of what kind of teacher I’d like to be, but who I’d like to help my students become. The heart of my philosophy is this: I want my students to become happy, well-adjusted adults who are secure in both their abilities and their faults. I want my students to become good citizens. Someday, thinking back, I want my students to view my classroom as, possibly the first place in their public education, they felt wholly comfortable to be themselves.
If you consult my philosophy (or most current education texts,) it will tell you a good classroom isn’t just a bunch of kids and a teacher--it’s a community, a “community of learners” if you will, where everyone is considered as a person, a person who deserves respect and to feel included, to be recognized for things they have an aptitude for, and not belittled for the things they do not excel in. Everyone is good at something and given a chance, each student is capable of success. Inclusion and diversity are thrown around a lot in current pre-teacher education, but the differences among people are what makes the world so interesting and embracing individual and cultural differences is the first step in creating a community of learners. If I could teach my students only one trait, it would be respect, for both others and themselves. To show respect to my students, my expectations will be both clear and reasonable. I will view them as students and people; while I’d love if every child who took my class came out a biologist or research scientist or doctor, realistically they come in with favorite subjects and activities and I will never treat my class like it is the only thing that is important.
If I could choose only one other thing to stress in my class, it would be to teach my students how to do science. Not necessarily like science, but do it. I have topics I’m excited to teach, yes, but skills are more important to me in the long run. Students don’t stagnate in 7th grade, or 9th or 11th; I've met students in all of these years first semester who had very different skills levels, often running a broad range in just one class period. To be a good teacher, my focus will be to teach them the skills that will allow them to succeed in any subject--things like general learning skills (taking notes, reading different types of texts, how to effectively study etc.) and the ability to think critically and make connections. Questions are important. Collaboration is important. False beliefs are important. In creating an atmosphere that is both comfortable and respectful, students wouldn’t be too afraid to speak in case their answer is “wrong,” but willing to offer ideas and challenge false beliefs through inquiry with classmates. To me, this is the easiest way for my students to lean towards the true nature of scientific exploration and, in turn, learn to appreciate the subject.
My teaching philosophy stems from the consideration of how the present time came to be; the generation of teachers prior to me were taught to consider different beliefs in regards to education, to find different values and attributes important, to manage their classrooms and deal with diversity in different ways. For this reason, my teaching philosophy comes not from wanting my own education to have happened differently, but thinking on the future of education as a whole. I did not have terrible teachers or go to bad schools; the majority of my own teachers were good educators and nice people. I went to a school district that had the resources to give its students ample opportunity to succeed and excel, that was secure and well maintained. Despite this, I did not feel like a part of my class; having autonomy is important for adolescents developing their identities, but complete anonymity leaves a student with memories of their secondary education as being impersonal and, at its worst, lonely. Possibly the most exciting idea about being a teacher is having the opportunity to shape young minds, or rather, helping them shape their own. This philosophy does not originate from the idea of what kind of teacher I’d like to be, but who I’d like to help my students become. The heart of my philosophy is this: I want my students to become happy, well-adjusted adults who are secure in both their abilities and their faults. I want my students to become good citizens. Someday, thinking back, I want my students to view my classroom as, possibly the first place in their public education, they felt wholly comfortable to be themselves.
If you consult my philosophy (or most current education texts,) it will tell you a good classroom isn’t just a bunch of kids and a teacher--it’s a community, a “community of learners” if you will, where everyone is considered as a person, a person who deserves respect and to feel included, to be recognized for things they have an aptitude for, and not belittled for the things they do not excel in. Everyone is good at something and given a chance, each student is capable of success. Inclusion and diversity are thrown around a lot in current pre-teacher education, but the differences among people are what makes the world so interesting and embracing individual and cultural differences is the first step in creating a community of learners. If I could teach my students only one trait, it would be respect, for both others and themselves. To show respect to my students, my expectations will be both clear and reasonable. I will view them as students and people; while I’d love if every child who took my class came out a biologist or research scientist or doctor, realistically they come in with favorite subjects and activities and I will never treat my class like it is the only thing that is important.
If I could choose only one other thing to stress in my class, it would be to teach my students how to do science. Not necessarily like science, but do it. I have topics I’m excited to teach, yes, but skills are more important to me in the long run. Students don’t stagnate in 7th grade, or 9th or 11th; I've met students in all of these years first semester who had very different skills levels, often running a broad range in just one class period. To be a good teacher, my focus will be to teach them the skills that will allow them to succeed in any subject--things like general learning skills (taking notes, reading different types of texts, how to effectively study etc.) and the ability to think critically and make connections. Questions are important. Collaboration is important. False beliefs are important. In creating an atmosphere that is both comfortable and respectful, students wouldn’t be too afraid to speak in case their answer is “wrong,” but willing to offer ideas and challenge false beliefs through inquiry with classmates. To me, this is the easiest way for my students to lean towards the true nature of scientific exploration and, in turn, learn to appreciate the subject.